Snowden

Very well made movie, very well acted, and directed.

Going in I was worried that the movie would turn into an action thriller or a love story that would cloud what really happened.

I was pleasantly surprised to find a step by step account of real events with a deep look at what goes on behind the scenes at the various spy agencies.

Personally I would have liked a little more time spent on the politicians (and other behind the scenes players) and how they acted before and after the Snowden revelations, but maybe that's a topic for another movie…

I would recommend this movie to anyone interested in modern history and geopolitics

The great director who's not afraid to tackle matters of war, conspiracy and controversial American political issues, has returned. Only this time, Oliver Stone has upgraded his latest film's look and tone to make it seem more digitally advanced, which is fine because it fits the story of Edward Snowden and we're living in this day and age where every millennial's favorite series happens to be "Mr. Robot." SNOWDEN, as you've guessed it, is a thriller about the whistleblower and former intelligence contractor, Edward Snowden, played in this film by the talented Joseph Gordon-Levitt. "Divergent" star, Shailene Woodley plays his girlfriend, Lindsay Mills, who stays by his side through his ordeals of working for the government due to his patriotism while at the same time feeling conflicted about how the government runs its methods in the name of national security. This film dramatizes the events that led Snowden to becoming one of the most wanted men in the world.

First, I have to give praises to Joseph Gordon-Levitt who I think went above and beyond in not only capturing Edward Snowden's mannerism and the way he speaks but my goodness, Gordon-Levitt's performance in this film is so calculating and precise, you can see his brains constantly work itself out, just by looking at him. And Shailene Woodley gives her most mature performance yet, because this film is more than just about the whole surveillance controversy, it's also about how that negatively affects Snowden & Mills relationship and I think it's fairly handled, both aspects don't take away or diminish each other's importance in the process.

When it comes to the film's dramatizing the U.S. and British global surveillance program, I'm sure there'll be questions as to how authentic the portrayal is, as far as the headquarters are concerned, for example, some may see it as a bit too much like a Bond villain's secret lair, but you'll be entertained by some of the visual effects that the film applies to showcase hacking and how one person can connect to another person and to another person and what's most fascinating about it is that there's a programmer watching the whole thing the entire time.

So SNOWDEN is essentially part conspiracy thriller, part relationship drama, and to a certain extent, part heist. Overall, I think it's a riveting film that keeps you engaged and more importantly gets you thinking, which I think is the goal of Oliver Stone's movies. Does the film lean one way in that it paints Edward Snowden as a hero? I think so, but not in a way that intentionally judges those who at the end still think of him as a traitor. SNOWDEN might cause audiences to become more paranoid or it might cause audiences to start supporting any effort to hold our government accountable. The jury's still out.

-- Rama's Screen --

For those who don't like documentaries (the documentary about Snowden, which is part of this movie, is excellent education about what our government can do with us) watch this first. Oliver Stone paints a portrait of a stand-up, pretty much button down guy who realizes the work he falls into is anything but what he was taught was right -- and then he needs to find a way out, without endangering his girlfriend. Another great film about a whistleblower --- and for his whistleblowing, he faces far harsher penalties just for coming home. Oliver Stone delivers thought provoking film again, and the entire cast, as well as the writing, is stellar.

For those who made up their mind about Ed Snowden through what was reported in mass media, I would simply say, watch this with an open mind. What happened to him could happen to any of us. This is a cautionary tale based on true facts told in the most exquisite way by Stone and his cast.

Isabeau Vollhardt, author, The Casebook of Elisha Grey

In June, 2013, it came out that the National Security Agency had a massive espionage network in place. Within a few days, the source of the information revealed himself. Edward Snowden was a computer professional who had been working first for the CIA, and then switched to the NSA. Before long, his conscience started bothering him, and so he downloaded evidence of the espionage network, flew to Hong Kong, and revealed it to journalists Glenn Greenwald and Ewen MacAskill, while director Laura Poitras filmed the interview. Without a doubt it was the biggest story of 2013.

This story got told in Poitras's Oscar-winning documentary "Citizenfour". Oliver Stone's "Snowden" tells the story, but also looks at the years leading up to Snowden's employment by the NSA: his military service, his stationing in Geneva, and then Japan, and finally his employment with the NSA outlet in Hawaii.

I don't know if I would go so far as to call this a masterpiece, but what's mind-blowing is the sheer scope of not just the espionage network, but everything else that it comprised. Without a doubt, the most important scene is the worldwide revelation of Snowden's leaks, and Snowden's subsequent flight to Russia, where he remains to this day.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt does a fine job as Snowden, as do Shailene Woodley as his lover Lindsay Mills. The rest of the cast includes Zachary Quinto (Spock in the "Star Trek" reboot) as Greenwald, Melissa Leo (Alice in "The Fighter") as Poitras, and an assortment of other people, including some surprise cast members.

All in all, I recommend the movie. Even though the viewer knows the plot, it's still a suspenseful story.

Let me preface this by saying that the film cinematically was good. However, my criticisms regard the impact of the film in relation to the true events that took place, and the real Edward Snowden.

The main character in the movie 'Snowden' was a dishonest and grossly false representation of the real Edward Snowden. Oliver Stone portrays him as this hot shot genius big-wig within the NSA and CIA when the truth is that Edward Snowden was really a mid-level intelligence analyst. I thought that took a lot away from the real story, being that Edward Snowden was one of many ordinary government employees and what made him different is that he had the courage of his convictions to speak up and become a whistle-blower when he saw that our government was acting against the democratic principles for which this country was founded upon.

The real Edward Snowden shows us that even everyday Americans can become true patriotic heroes by speaking up when they see something they know is wrong. It is clear and obvious that the programs he revealed that ARE STILL BEING USED TODAY are completely prohibited by the 4th Amendment.